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Man who survived horror knife attack died in a car crash a decade later

THE death of a man in a car crash more than a decade after he survived a knife attack as a teenager was "tragically ironic", an inquest has heard.

Ashley Murray, 27, was more than twice the drink-drive limit when he lost control of his Porsche Boxster and hit a tree in July, the inquest at Harrogate Magistrates Court heard.

In 1999, when he was 13-years-old, Mr Murray was subjected to a horrific attack and left for dead by two other teenagers after they had watched the horror film Scream.

The attackers, who were 14 and 15, took Mr Murray to an isolated nature reserve near Harrogate and stabbed him a number of times with a knife and screwdriver before leaving him wrapped in a bin bag.

He was found almost two days later and spent nine months in hospital, making a recovery but remaining paralysed on one side.

The two teenagers were ordered to be detained for six years after being convicted of attempted murder but were released after serving half the sentence.

Today, Traffic Constable Graham McCulloch, of North Yorkshire Police, told the inquest: "I recalled what happened to Ashley in 1999. It seems tragically ironic that, following such an incident and his recovery, he should lose his life in such a manner."

Mr Murray, of West Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is believed to have drunk about 10 pints of lager during the afternoon of July 14 before driving to a party in a nearby village.

He had more to drink at the party and drove back to his home at about 10pm, where he left his car and went to a bar in Harrogate.

A short time later, Mr Murray retrieved his car and drove away from Harrogate towards Leeds on the A61.